THIS
PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
CHECK BACK
THROUGH OUT THE COMING MONTHS AS THE PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION FOR
UPDATES
AND
INFORMATION.

Over the past several
years, Fort Worth Texas has been hit by pounding hailstorms, raging
floodwaters and two, violent tornados. These storms caused millions
of dollars in damage, numerous injuries and several deaths. While
property damage is nearly impossible to prevent during violent weather,
injuries and deaths are a different story. With ample warning, people
can seek shelter and protect themselves.
In order to provide it's residents with more time to take cover from
severe weather, The City of Fort Worth entered into a contract with
SafetyCom, Inc. in October, 2002 to replace the existing outdoor warning
system with a new, technologically advanced system.
The Old System
Fort Worth currently uses a system of approximately 70 outdated electro-mechanical
sirens located in or near the central city. Parts of the system are
more than 30 years old. This system has become a maintenance nightmare,
as failures become more and more prevalent and replacement parts have
become difficult or impossible to find. Residents have complained that
some of the sirens either fail to sound adequately or to sound at all
during periodic tests and actual emergencies. Even if 100% of the sirens
were operational in all tests and emergencies, some parts of the city
would still not be adequately warned. As the city continues to grow,
the existing system has become even less effective than it was thought
to be.

The New System
In searching for new alternatives to the existing system, city officials
requested proposals from leading firms in the outdoor warning system
industry. A number of proposals were received from qualified firms,
but the SafetyCom proposal offered distinct advantages over its competitors
including quality of products, contractor and sub-contractor experience
and implementation procedures. The SafetyCom system includes approximately
132 electronic sirens mounted on 50-foot concrete poles throughout
the city. Each siren can be tested and controlled individually by a
radio transmitter at a central location, and is powered by batteries
recharged with solar energy. The components of this proposed system
are described in the following paragraphs.

System
Components

SirensThe new sirens, can emit a 70-decibel warning signal in a 360-degree
rotating path for up to 30 continuous minutes on fully charged
batteries. Each siren assembly has been designed to withstand high
winds, lightning strikes, and other adverse conditions typically
experienced in severe weather.

PolesIn order to ensure adequate coverage of the area, the new system
includes 132 concrete poles placed throughout the city. Each pole
will stand approximately 50 feet high, with a siren assembly on
top and a control box attached 10 feet above the ground. The poles
are constructed using a centrifugal pouring process, which minimizes
weak points in the concrete and results in structural resistance
to winds exceeding 150 miles per hour.

Control Boxes Control boxes for the siren assemblies will contain batteries,
radio units, and other necessary electronics. These boxes will
be attached to each pole a minimum of 10 feet from the ground to
prevent tampering and damage. A connection from the box to the
siren assembly at the top of the pole will be established through
wiring concealed inside the pole. Each siren assembly is designed
to respond to specific radio frequencies.

Power
Source
Each siren assembly will be powered by batteries that are continually
recharged with solar power. The sun's energy will be collected with
solar panels attached to each pole. Lexan, a Plexiglas-style material
that shields the solar panels while allowing the sun’s rays to
pass through, will protect all solar panels from hail strikes and other
falling hazards.

Since many older outdoor siren-warning systems are powered with commercial
alternating current (AC) connections, the proposed system is a departure
from older systems. However, a solar-powered warning system offers
several advantages over AC-powered systems:
- Installation requires no trenching or hanging of power lines
- Elimination of reliance on nearby AC power sources makes siren site
selection faster and easier; optimal siren locations are often avoided
in AC-powered systems because installation becomes cost-prohibitive
- AC-powered warning systems are vulnerable to extended power outages
- AC-charged batteries tend to have a shorter life span than solar-charged
batteries
- Solar power is abundant, clean, and free AC-powered electrical meter
are expensive to install, especially at low usage sites such as warning
siren locations
- Warning sirens can be installed in remote or newly annexed areas
that have few AC power sources readily available.

Central Control System
A control system, including a computer and radio transmission unit,
will be installed in two central locations so that city employees can
test and operate the outdoor siren warning system in conjunction with
other emergency response activities. The console will be connected
to radio transmission antennas located in sites agreed upon by City
staff and representatives of the firm assisting with installation of
the system.As with all emergency response systems, the new system includes
plans for a backup operations site, control console, and transmission
antenna.
The redundancy of siren equipment and related control devices reduces
the warning system's vulnerability to a "single-point failure," a
situation in which an entire system could be disabled by the destruction
of a single component.

The new
system will cover all existing areas of Fort Worth. Each siren will
cover an average of approximately three square miles,
as represented
by each of the circles on the map above.

The location of each siren will be based on the following criteria:
- Strength of radio signal received
- Consent of nearby residents, notified in advance with signs and
fliers
- Relative location to other sirens
- Warning signal audible at acceptable distance
- Aesthetic considerations
- Other criteria as identified by citizens and City staff

Implementation
Schedule
Contract finalized and signed October 2002
Site selection began in December 2002
Installation of Sirens began in February 2003
Installation of radio equipment is scheduled for Late-March 2003
Installation completion is currently on target for Early-Summer
2003
Acceptance testing is targeted for Mid-Summer 2003
System fully accepted and operational Late Summer 2003

Radio
system installation was scheduled to be one of the first steps of installation. However,
we have experienced many delays in this area. After the radio system
is proven to be
operational, new
siren installation will begin in areas that currently have
no operating
sirens. Once the radio system is installed and operational
the new sirens will be operational as soon as they are installed.
The
old sirens
will be removed when new sirens are proven to be operational
as part of the acceptance test.

Costs
The City has set aside $3 million in certificate of obligation
(CO) funding for the purchase and installation of this
system. However,
City staff involved with the development of this project
estimate that the system, as proposed, will cost slightly less
than
$3 million. Each
additional siren assembly (beyond the initial 132 sirens)
is estimated to cost $20,000, including installation. As the
city
grows, so will
the system.